Fuel-feed-control system



Max. 6, 1923;

s. G. BARNARD FUEL FEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Oct.

- phoning feed the engine is running.

area

SAMUEL G. BARNABD, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTGN.

FUEL-FEEld-CONTBOL SYSTEMI.

Application filed October 17, 1921.

system for supplying and controlling the flow of fuel to the cylindersof an automobile engine, or the l1ke,aud more particularly it relates tocertain valve control mechanism that may be used independently of or inconnection with a well-known type of vacuum system, and by its use makespossible the elimination of the usual carburetor float mechanism. It isthe principal object of the'invention to overcome the undesirableresults caused by the pumping action of the float within a carburetorduring travel over rough, or uneven surfaces, which causes irregularoperation of the engine, and to do this by the elimination-of the floatwithin the carburetor and providing means wherebyt'uel is delivereddirectly, by a siphoning action, from the vacuum tank into the intakemanifold of the engine. v Another object of the invention resides in theprovision of a four-way valve mechanism that can be readily adapted to auniversally used 'acuum system without materially altering the latter,and which is of such construction that it may be manipulated to con trolthe engine.

Other objects of, the invention reside in i the details of constructionand combination of parts whereby an effective and desirable systen'i isproduced.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, 1 haveprovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 isa diagrammatic illustration, showing in side elevation the parts of avacuum feed system embodied by the present invention. I

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the vac uum tank equipped with a valveand sipipe, according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, sectional view of the valve in the position itassumes when Serial No. 508,288.

Figure lis a" similar view of the valve in position for coasting.

Figure 5 is aplan view of the valve and its control or adjusting rod.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawings- 1designates what may be the fuel, or gas-.

oline storage tank of an automobile, 2 the intake manifold of the-engineand 3 the storage tank of the vacuum supply system. This latter is of awell-known type, used for the purpose of delivering an uninterrupted supply of'fuel from the tank 1 to the engine, with the point oi delivery ata higher level than the supply.

The tank 3 comprises an upper or vacuuin chamber l and a'lower, orgravity feed tank The chamber i has, at the top, an open ing (5 intowhich a supply conduit 7 from the tank 1 extends, and also openings 8and 9' which are connected, through valve mechanism presently described,with the inta fe manifold 2. and an air vent pipe 10. 'l ..e feed tank 5has, at the top, an air outlet chair-- nel 11 leading into the channel9,"als'o lateral opening through which a siphoning conduit 13 extendsinto the tank nearly to the base thereof, and which leads to acarburetor connection 12 of the manifold 2 where it is equipped with aspray nozzle of any suitable type, as indicated at 14.

Mounted upon the tank-3 is a four-way valve 15 equipped with a plug 16provided with a channel 17 whereby adjacent openings of the housing maybe connected. A,

side opening 18 of the valve body connects with the air vent nine 10,the tonopening n 20 leads to atmos h. e the bettom ouenin ,c 21. hasconnection, o means of a pipe 21 with the top opening 3? in the vacuumtank and the other side opening 23 vertical channel 2% in the alve bodywhich at the upper end, 1:; connected by a tube 25 with the manifold andat its lower end 1s connected by a pipe 26 with the vacuum chamberopening In a preferred construction, the valve plug .is connected withan actuating rod, as shown at 28, in Figures 1 and 5, which extendsthrough the dash board 29 of the vehicle and is equipped with a handle30 whereby it may be manipulated to move the plug to its differentpositions.

WVithin the chamber l ct the tank 3, is a float 35. A lever 36 overliesthe float-and is connected at its ends to float and fixed.

.eads into member 37. Another lever 38 is pivotally and centrallysupported from the top of the tank and has connection at one end bymeans of a link 39, with the lever36 and, at its opposite end, hasvalves 40 and 41 connected thereto that are movable to. close and openthe ports 8 and 9.

The bottom of the chamber 4 has an outlet45 equipped with a valveflapper 46 which opens automatically to permit a flow down wardlytherethrough.

Assuming that the vacuum feed system is so constructed and is connectedwith the fuel supply tank and manifold of the engine, and is equippedwith a control valve 15 as described, the operation of the system wouldbe as follows:

By turning the valve plug to the position as it is shown in Figure 3, itwill be seen that the chamber 5 normally has conuuunication with theatmosphere through the ports 11 and 27. the valve channel 17 and pipe10'. Should there be no gasoline in either of the chambers, the float35, by means of the levers 36 and closes the valve 41 which admits airinto the vacuum chamber and at the same time opens the valve 40connected with the suction pipe 25. On "cranking or otherwise startingtheengine, a vacuum is then created within the upper chamber whichcloses the flapper 4-6 in the-lower part of the tank 4, thereby makingthe upper chamber air-tight, and causes the gasoline to be drawn fromthe main gasoline tank into the vacuum chamber. As the gasoline entersthe upper chamber the float rises and through connccting levers thevalve 40 is closed and the valve 41 opened, which permits air to enterthe vacuum chamber 5 through the air vent- 10. Air entering the lowerchamber causes the valve flapper 46 to open and permits the gasoline inthe upper tank to flow into the lower tank by gravity, thereby causingthe float to lower as the gasoline flows out. Asthefloat lowers, theoperationof the levers is again brought into action and the valve 40 ,iSagain opened and valve 41 closed, causing the filling action to berepeated, so that a supply of gasoline is always maintained within thetank 5.

It is then apparent that with port 8 closed operation of the enginewhich causes a vacuum to be created within the manltold 2 will. startasiphomngaction through the conduit 13 and the fuel will be sprayed intothe manifold by means of the nozzle 14. It will be statedhere that thecarburetor 12 may be equipped with an auxiliary air opening and a valveas is usually provided in carl'mretors, so that the mixture of fuel maybe controlled.

When it is desired to shut off fuel from the engine for coasting orstopping, the valve plug is first given a quarter turn, so that itschannel 17 connects the openinp 2-; and 21,

as is shown in dotted lines in Fi ure 4. This causes the vacuum pressurewithin the manifold to be opened through pipe 25 and valve 15 into thechamber 5 and a reversal of flow through the tube 13 which drains thesame into the chamber 5 results. The valve is then advanced anotherour-fourth turn to the position as shown in Figure 4, which opens thesuction to the atmosphere. This the position that the valve assumes whenthe engine is coasting.

It is apparent that this'system of fuel feeding is also well adapted tomotorcycle fuel tanks. in that case, the siphoning pipe 13 would leadfrom the fuel tank to the spray nozzle as in the present case, and theopening 23 of the valve housing would be connected directly by pipe 25with the manifold of the engine. The valve plug could then bemanipulated so that the vacuum or suction within the manifold could beused to cause the siphoning action of the fuel during running or tocause the pipe 13 to be drained back into the storage tank.

I claim:

1. In a fuel supply system of the character described, in combination, afuel storage tank, a suction manifold, a siphon conduit leading from thetank into the manifold. a valve mounted on the tank having one sideopento atmosphere and having connections respectively with the suctionmanifold and with the storage tank, and operable-to providecommunication between the tank and atmosphere, or between the tank andthe suction manifold, or between the suction inanifold and atmosphere.

2. In combination with a fuel storage tank, a. suction manifold and avacuum feed tank, the latter comprising a vacuum cham her and astv'n'age chamber and having a supply conduit leading into the vacuumchamber from the storage tank and having valvedxmemngs at the top intothe vacuum chamber and storage chamber that are controlled by a floatmechanism within the vacuum chamber, of asiphoning conduit leading fromthe storage chamber to the manifold, a four-way valve mounted upon thevacuum tank having two adjacent openings communicating with atmosphereand having one of its other openings communicating both with the airinlet to the vacuum chamber and with the suction manifold, anditsremaining opening communicating with the storage chamber opening, achanneled plug for the valve operable to provide communication betweenthe suction manifold and the storage chamber, the suction manifold andatmosphere or atmosphere and the storage chau1-, her.

Signed at Seattle, lV-ashington, this 11th day of ()ctobcr, i921.

M ll'l lli G. ii iii. Mufti).

